Inverness Botanic Gardens » Gardening Tips

Gardening Tips for the Season

  • Feed the soil to help various plants thrive in it. Try flowering shrubs with bonemeal, ericaceous loving plants with iron (i.e rhododendrons), alkaline loving plants with lime (i.e lavender), and the veg patch with high nitrogen feed such as dried blood or sulphate of ammonia, all sprinkled around and watered in.
  • Tidy your lawn. Rake over the grass using a ‘springbok’ rake and removing any moss or weeds, if there are patches of the lawn that are noticeably ill-drained then by using a garden fork, push the prongs deep into the ground and move them back and forth.  This will allow the lawn to breathe again and encourage new growth.
  • This is the perfect time to collect rainfall by installing a water butt.  Rainfall is better for some plants such as camellias and rhododendrons because of the slightly alkaline nature of tap water.
  • Keep feeding the birds as the temperature is still low. The birds will need a hand keeping their energy levels up.
  • Get out and enjoy your garden!